The Thing
by yeknodelttil
Summary: While I was walking down the beach, one bright and sunny day I saw a great big wooden box a-floating in the bay Spoilers for Journey's End


Great, Big, Wooden Box You'll Never Get Rid Of The …

Author: yeknodelttil

Summary:While I was walking down the beach, one bright and sunny day

I saw a great big wooden box a-floating in the bay

Author's Notes: The song I've used is Phil Harris' 'The Thing'. I've been dying to write a fic to this song for ages and Journey's End gave me that chance.

The '…' signifies that the listener has to guess what is in the box as it is never mentioned in the song.

_While I was walking down the beach, one bright and sunny day_

_I saw a great big wooden box a-floating in the bay_

_I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise_

_Oh I discovered a … right before my eyes!_

_Oh I discovered a … right before my eyes!_

Rose watched as the TARDIS dematerialised on the beach, she wanted to open up the doors and demand a proper goodbye but she realised she didn't have to as the man she loved took her hand in his. She turned to face him, the only difference she could see was that his eyes were darker than her Doctor's and that was the only thing about him she swore to change.

"Right then." She told him slightly smiling. "You are not being let out of my sight again." He looked surprised at the fact she was so accepting of him. He had nothing to offer her but here she was willing to be a friend to him and perhaps more in time. Somehow deep inside he knew that from the first moment they'd met they'd never be truly parted.

Rose gently squeezed his hand. She leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

"You said you're just like him, now you can prove it." She told him cheekily.

_I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king_

_I took it to a guy I knew who'd buy almost anything_

_But this is what he hollered at me as I walked in his shop_

_Oh get out of here with that … before I call a cop!_

_Oh get out of here with that … before I call a cop!_

"This is your TORCHWOOD then?" The Doctor asked they stepped off the lift onto Rose's floor.

"Its more of a coalition of TORCHWOOD and UNIT." She told him. "Don't worry they're not going to throw you in the cells." She teased as she saw him tense. "I thought, well we thought that if you wanted that is you could be a sort of…well actually a…"

"What are you trying to say?" He asked smiling, he squeezed her hand.

"I'm sort of one of the heads of the corporation and mum and dad wondered if you would be another head?" She asked. "I mean there's not as much running away from aliens involved but…" Rose was quickly silenced as her Doctor kissed her – in front of the staff.

"This is not a place for public affection! I must ask you to leave this building at once!" A worker yelled as he approached the couple. Rose pulled back and turned to face him. "Miss Tyler!" The man lost his authority. "I didn't think you were coming back."

"Clearly I am back." The Doctor stepped back as he watched Rose take on a tone of authority.

"I thought you were leaving with the Doctor." The Doctor looked nervously around, worried from Rose's reaction.

"The Doctor is here, and he's staying." She didn't bat an eyelid. "So it appears that I am still in charge."

He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "I think I like you like this." Rose blushed.

"Shut up!" She told him. He smiled back innocently at her and she couldn't quite stop her stomach flipping excitedly.

_I turned around and got right out, running for my life_

_And then I took it home with me to give it to my wife_

_But this is what she hollered at me as I walked in the door_

_Oh get out of her with that … and don't come back no more!_

_Oh get out of her with that … and don't come back no more!_

The Doctor sat on the infirmary bed nursing a cut above his eye. He winced as he saw the blood on his towel.

"I don't think it'll need stitches." The nurse told him. "But you'll have a headache for a few days." He nodded his thanks, but before he could say anything an angry Rose stormed into the room.

"What are you playing at?!" She shouted, clamping her hands tightly together to stop herself from hitting him.

"Rose…" He began.

"I come in for work only to find out that you're in the infirmary after an explosion!"

"I'll leave you to discuss this. Miss Tyler, Doctor. " The nurse told them bidding a hasty retreat. The pair waited until the nurse was out of earshot.

"Let me explain Rose…"

"No let me finish." She gave him a glare that shut him up. "You are part human, that means no regenerations! You can get killed!"

"I ran out before anything else happened. It's not life threatening…" He tried to explain.

"What if it was though? I can't bear to lose you again." She whispered quietly. He stood up and wrapped an arm around her waist hugging her while he did his best to hold the towel in place.

"I'm sorry love. I didn't think." He whispered causing Rose to laugh.

"You've never called me love before, isn't that a bit domestic." She teased. She felt him stiffen. "I won't tell anyone." This Doctor was still as allergic to domestics as the other even though he'd practically proposed on the beach. She stepped back, she reached up and pulled the towel from his head, she saw the long cut there.

"I won't call you 'love' again if you don't like it." She gently pushed him so he sat back down.

"I like it." She smiled at him. Rose noticed the blood on his shirt. "I think you'll have to go home and change." She told him.

"Only if you do."

"Doctor I can't, I have a lot of work to do and…"

"You're the boss' daughter." He smirked. Rose had the second highest position in the corporation. She sighed.

"Alright." Rose reached across for some more sterilising wipes and cleaned his cut once more. He winced as it stung. "Baby." She whispered.

"It hurt!" She laughed. She gently probed around his cut and found he was developing quite a lump.

"So how did this happen?" She asked him.

"Some stupid ape…" She silenced him with a glare that clearly said 'watch it'. "Someone decided that it'd be clever to try and fix a piece of technology but overloading it, it could have sparked a chain reaction." He told her. "I was the only one who could stop it, luckily the room was destroyed and not the whole building. I got this as I ran out as fast as I could I was knocked to the floor." Rose pressed a gentle kiss to his head.

"I wish you'd be more careful." She told him quietly. She gently placed a plaster on his cut.

"I promise I will in the future." She saw the sincerity in his eyes.

_I wandered all around the town, until I chanced to meet_

_A hobo who was looking for a handout on the street_

_He said he'd take almost anything; he was a desperate man_

_But when I showed him the … he turned around and ran!_

_But when I showed him the … he turned around and ran!_

The pair walked around the town looking during their lunch break, idly talking about the work they'd been doing and what they were planning on doing after work. Rose still thought it was strange that he had a job at TORCHWOOD but quickly came to realise that he truly enjoyed being a negotiator/research and development/boss.

"Are you okay with being in this universe?" Rose asked suddenly.

"I'm fine, I miss the TARDIS sometimes but, you're here." Rose smiled at his confession. He'd only been with her for a few months, taking things slowly so that they could adjust to the new situation between them. Rose stopped suddenly looking into the window of a jewellery shop; something caught her eye.

"Did you see something you liked?" He teased. She shook her head, turning round to see him holding a box out for her to take.

"Doctor?" Rose looked at him completely confused before taking the box from him, he grinned widely as Rose opened it up and saw what was inside. Rose felt tears come to her eyes as he slowly pulled out the contents of the box.

"I practically asked you on the beach but…" Before he could answer Rose had leapt into his arms, crying with joy.

"YES!" She cried.

"Fantastic." He whispered as he placed the simple, single diamond ring on her finger. "I know its nothing special like a fire diamond from Julina 4 or platinum from Lakint."

"It doesn't matter." Rose told him. "I don't care about things like that. I only care about the fact you're here with me – now."

"Rose, the band's made from the only thing I had left – my TARDIS key." Tears came to her eyes as she realised the importance of his gesture, he'd given everything up for her. Rose found herself crying in his arms again. "I love you." He whispered into her ear.

"I love you too." Rose pulled away. "Mum'll kill you if she sees me like this." He looked confused. "She's coming in today." He looked blank again. "We're looking after Tony tonight." The realisation dawned in his eyes and soon Rose felt herself being pulled towards the public toilets to clean herself up before a slap came his way.

_I wandered on for many years, a victim of my fate_

_Until one day I came upon St Peter at the Gate_

_And when I tried to take it inside he told me where to go_

_Oh get out of here with that … and take it down below!_

_Oh get out of here with that … and take it down below!_

"Are you sure you're going to age?" Rose asked afraid of the answer, a month before the wedding she had to know.

"Yes." He saw the relief in her eyes.

"Positive?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Rose…" He warned slowly.

"I mean you're still part Time Lord and…" He placed a finger over his lips.

"Regeneration places too much stress on a heart, that's why Time Lords have two. My heart wouldn't be able to cope." Rose placed a hand on his heart, much as she had done when she discovered his heart the first time.

"You can spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Talk about being a victim of fate!" He joked, only to be shoved before being kissed soundly.

_The moral of this story is, if you're out on the beach_

_And you should see a great big box and it's within your reach_

_Don't ever stop and open it up, that's my advice to you_

_Cos you'll never get rid of the … no matter what you do!_

_Oh you'll never get rid of the … no matter what you do!_

"I'll never get rid of you, will I?" She joked, as she stood next to him in a flowing white dress. The Doctor smiled at her.

"Not a chance." He replied as they turned to face the vicar.

The End 


End file.
